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What is
Wingchun(Ving-Tsun) ?
Wing Chun has many spellings, including Ving
Tsun. The name Wing Chun I have heard and read translated many times.
Often it is supposedly the name of a woman, who legend has it was one of
the first, or the first, user of Wing Chun. The words can mean beautiful
springtime or hope for the future
We need to bear these
factors in mind, and understand that Wing Chun is a unique system of
Chinese boxing, unlike any other fighting art, Chinese or otherwise. The
Wing Chun system is strongly influenced (one could say, obsessed) with
three main qualities. These are DIRECTNESS, EFFICIENCY and SIMPLICITY.
These three qualities are immediately evident in any genuine
representation of the system, from the physical application of the
techniques to the structure, practise and content of the six training
forms (Siu Nim Tau, Cham Kiu, Biu Ji, Muk Yan Jong). While one would
assume that the majority of Wing Chun practitioners are aware of these
three qualities, some present day instructors defy all logic by ignoring
them altogether! How often have we seen sequences of movements where the
instructor demonstrating his or her defence against various forms of
attack, takes five or six techniques to deal with a situation that should
only have taken one, or at most, two techniques to control?
What is even more
disturbing (and frustrating) is that many very intelligent people blindly
continue to follow such instructors, even when confronted by convincing
arguments which clearly prove that what they are doing does not conform
to this very logical approach. Instead, they take what is basically a
simple, straightforward method, and turn it into a complicated and less
efficient one. Like the person who pulls the flower to pieces to discover
its beauty, they completely miss the point, becoming obsessed with
needless analysis. So many Wing Chun practitioners invent endless
sequences of defensive actions when what is clearly the obvious message
of the system is that "attack is ALWAYS the best form of
defence."
Let's pause here to
define, in simple terms, what is meant by these three above-mentioned
qualities:
DIRECTNESS: extending or moving in a straight line, or by
the shortest route; not crooked or oblique; going straight to the point.
EFFICIENCY: productive; with minimum waste of effort; ratio
of useful work performed to energy expended.
SIMPLICITY: easily understood or done; not complicated or
elaborate; consisting of, or involving only one element of operation.
There are very few
forms in Wing Chun. The principal ones are:
Sil Lim Tao, or "little imagination"first form.
This is practised standing still, on the spot, while the arms go through
the basic strikes and parries. One section in particular is practised
very slowly. Most training sessions will start with a run-through of this
form (a karate man might use the word kata), which emphasises the
build-up and discharge of force, and the accuracy of the most important
arm positions.
Chum Kil, or "bridging the gap"second form. This
form involves footwork, and deals with an important aspect of Wing Chun:
getting to the correct fighting distance with an opponent. By and large,
other styles have longer-ranged attacks, such as big leaping kicks of
which Wing Chun has none, and so a Wing Chun fighter has to get close to
an opponent in order to benefit from the short-range attacks in which
Wing Chun specialises. The tricky bit is getting in close without getting
hurt.
Bil Jee, or "flying fingers"third form. This form
includes various thrusting finger attacks, and is sometimes thought of as
the offensive form, but the real purpose of it is to teach the Wing Chun
student what to do when things go pear-shaped, and how to get out of a
fix by whatever desperate means. It is not taught to beginners.
The above are
empty-hand forms. Also there are two weapon forms. In kung fu, only
dedicated students get taught weapon forms. This contrasts with karate
where students traditionally started with weapons training, and then
moved on to empty hand techniques.
Pole form. Wing Chun includes the use of a long (usually
nine foot) pole. Supposedly this was added to the style by one
practitioner who used to pole along a barge for a troupe of travelling
performers. There are many instances of cross-over between performance of
gymnastics and theatre, and kung fu. This form is very simple indeed, and
gives Wing Chun a long ranged attack.
Bart Jarm Dao, or "eight slash knife"form. This
uses two very short swords, sometimes called "butterfly"swords,
and uses much of the same footwork and arm moves from the empty hand
forms. The user does not typically attack the foe's head or torso first,
but aims early blows at the opponent's weapon and arms, later following
up with attacks to the body, once having closed. The problem of getting
close to an opponent with a longer range attack is similar to the
situation of the second empty hand form.
While there are some
other minor practice forms, some of which were developed very recently,
such as the punch-bag form, the last of the major forms is:
The wooden dummy form. The dummy is a peculiar device, which
very vaguely resembles a man. A thick cylinder of wood represents the
line of a standing body, and from this stick forward one bent leg, and
three short straight arms. The wooden dummy form is a chance for the
student to practice the moves learned in the first three empty hand forms,
against something solid. The footwork has to be correct, as the student
steps around the forward leg of the dummy, and the blows from foot and
hand connect with something harder than air.
"STICKING
HANDS"
There is one major
aspect of Wing Chun which I have not yet mentioned: Chi Sao, or
"sticking hands". In training sessions with other students, a
lot of time is spent practicing this technique in pairs. This is often
the aspect of Wing Chun which impresses users of other martial art
styles.
Sticking hand technique
involves feeling what an opponent is doing, and reacting accordingly.
When practicing, students will hold their arms out in front of them,
touching the arms of their partner. From here, they make various
movements, being careful to keep themselves defended. If either one feels
a weakness in the defence of the other, he will thrust a hand forward
into the gap, perhaps hitting his partner in the chest. After a while, a
student might find that he can shut his eyes, and still defend himself
against whatever his partner throws at him. In a real fight, this
technique is very useful, since it means that the instant contact is
made, a Wing Chun man can feel what his opponent is trying to do, and
react that bit more quickly to that movement. It would also be pretty
handy were he to be attacked in a pantry with the lights out.
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